Milwaukee, WI

In 2001, the Santiago Calatrava Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum drew attention to our fair city as a place where art really can and does happen. The city is also home to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and even UW-Milwaukee offers graduate programs in fine arts. But aside from the colleges and tech schools, what does Milwaukee offer as far as art classes for the average person?

Lots, if you look hard enough.

The Milwaukee Art Museum itself features a number of classes and lectures both on technique as well as art appreciation. Prices are not at all out of line for the calibur of class offered, and the offerings are unusual and interesting - definitely worth a periodic visit to the Museum’s website.

Artist and Display, the north side’s finest art supply store, features an ecclectic offering of classes, from staples like watercolor and colored pencil to the more unusual such as art clay silver crafting and versals. The prices vary wildly and may reach beyond the budget of students and retirees, but the unique subjects make them the only game in town for many of the featured classes. Artist and Display also offers a number of children’s art classes.

Greenfield News and Hobby on Layton offers a very practical selection of art classes on a regular basis, including airbrushing, watercolors, and calligraphy. The prices are more than reasonable, and there are even a number of free art classes such as model kit building, designed with kids in mind.

Michael’s Craft stores, which are located all over Milwaukee, typically feature some basic art and cake decorating classes at low costs. The classes vary by location, and schedules are available at the individual stores.

Occasionally, even the Classes section of the local Craigslist features some art-related gems. While that option is hit-or-miss, it is worth the occasional browse.

There are art classes in Milwaukee for every taste and every budget if you look hard enough.

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Mental & Emotional Health

On a whim on Saturday night my companion and I stopped at Super Video on Greenfield Avenue in Milwaukee. Super Video sells “adult novelties,” lingerie, smoking accessories (you know, pot smoking supplies…but that’s a rant for another day) and of course, adult videos. It is a relatively nice store - well lit, well-attended, and not at all creepy. I’ve been there before, although sadly my only purchase was some kickass incense (Fizzy Pop - if you ever see Fizzy Pop incense, try it! Great stuff! But I digress…).

I’ve never really perused the videos in an adult stores before. Until tonight.

Oh my God, what a wealth of comedy gold I had missed out on! I mean, I’ve heard some of the classic funny video names before (Saving Ryan’s Privates, for example) and I was vaguely aware that there were some oddball fetishes out there, but I always thought those were the exception and not the rule.

If I hadn’t seen this stuff with my own eyes, I woudln’t believe it.

My favorite title by far was called Shanghai Poon. Go ahead and say it. Shanghai Poon. Hilarious. I may change my name from to Shanghai Poon. I laughed all the way through the store over that one. Shanghai Poon.

Catering to a series of fetishes that apparently needs attention, we spotted a series of sex videos involving overweight pizza delivery women. I know that the delivery guy (or girl) fantasy is pretty common, and I have read that some people find morbid obesity erotic. To each his own. I guess maybe some people might have sex fantasies that involve pizza. But much to my surprise, apparently a combination of all of these is enough of a popular fetish to warrant not one, not two, but three DVDs in a series. Just think about that the next time you are at Pizza Hut…some of the restaurant-goers are there for the pizza, but others are reading the menu like a centerfold. “Mushrooms, green olives, and extra….pepperoni….OH GOD YES PEPPERONI!!!”

Ahem. Where was I?

One of our more surreal observations was a video called “Myspace.cum.” Judging from the description on the back, it was all about high school girls having sex with their friends’ fathers. That was just too weird. Thinking back to high school, my friends’ fathers were just…old. And embarrassing. Yuck. I guess this is why I’m not in the porn business.

Some of the funniest reads were actually on the backs of the videos. I have to wonder who has the job of writing the copy on the back of adult DVDs. Whoever it is, either they are truly skilled artisans or complete idiots. Whatever the case, occasionally it works out and makes for good reading. My favorite simply said “These Texas bitches are a bunch of fucking whores!” Well said, dear wordsmith. Well said.

I’ve decided that I’m going to start visiting more porn stores, for all the wrong reasons. This is far better than any comedy club.

Shanghai Poon signing off.

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This is the second installment of the continuing examination of thrift shopping in Milwaukee. In Part One we looked at the Goodwill shops around Milwaukee. This installment will feature some of the other larger thrift emporiums, while the final installment will feature an examination of the smaller boutique resale stores.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army thrift stores are about as well known as the Goodwill shops, and certainly comparable in size. However, where the Goodwill shops thrive with excellent employees with great customer service skills, clean shops and a great selection, the Salvation Army has always offered me the opposite experience. The employees have ranged from less than helpful to downright rude. The shops tend to be far more dingy than Goodwill, and the selection does not appear to rotate quite as much. However, the sheer amount of items available make it worth the stop because with that much junk to look through there just might be something worth buying. My experience is primarily limited to the Salvation Army store on 27th Street (6341 S. 27th St., Franklin) but I have had the same experience at other Salvation Army shops as well.

American Council of the Blind Thrift Stores

Do not miss this huge thrift store at 6731 West Greenfield Avenue. The selection is huge and changes often. The daily specials are fun (recently I saw “buy one plate get three free”), the store is clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. I have found more brand name clothing at this thrift store than any other thrift in Milwaukee, and the prices are excellent - most clothes are under $3.00. While clothes are the real find here, there is typically a good selection of furniture, as well as nice household goods.

Value Village

There are a few Value Village thrift shops in the Milwaukee area, but the one most centrally located is in the shopping center at the intersection of Layton and National - 729 South Layton Boulevard. Value Village is, unfortunately, the most unclean thrift store I have ever been in. I couldn’t help but feel dirty just walking into the place. The items are displayed poorly and everything is in disarray. The store has an unpleasant odor - far more than most thrift stores. The only thing that this Value Village really has going for it is that it is located centrally and is easily accessible, but if you can get to any other thrift store, do so. This one isn’t worth a drive at all.

USA Family Thrift

Located at 4470 South 108th Street in Greenfield, USA Family Thrift is one of my new favorites. The store is very clean and the staff is helpful. The clothing selection is inexpensive and wonderful, and if you are looking for a winter coat for under $20 you will have plenty of beautiful choices here. Holiday items go on sale early, and I purchased some great Halloween finds at 50% off a full week before Halloween. This is not the place to find furniture, although they do offer some furniture items, but there are nice household goods like dishes and glassware. This place may be worth the stop just to see the hundreds of not-for-sale Barbie dolls they have tacked to the walls around the shop.

Don’t miss our final installment of Thrifting in Milwaukee, where we will review some of the smaller boutique resale thrift shops.

If you like the name, you’ll love Bay View’s Tip Top Atomic Shop. This cute little vintage boutique on Kinnickinnic is the place in town for cool cats and kittens to find hip rockabilly clothing and retro-kitch decor for the home.

You’ll find everything from the latest Lucky 13 shirts to vintage dresses to shoes, purses and hats in their clothing collection. Hawaiian shirts and bowling shirts are always plentiful.

If knick-knacks are your thing, you’ll find plenty of that at Tip Top as well. Kitchy ashtrays, retro drinking glasses, wacky lamps - there’s a little bit of everything, and the inventory is always changing.

Although the store is on the small side, there is an awful lot packed into the available space and there’s always something new to check out. On a nice day it’s not unusual to see a few retro chairs or a table outside on display.

I have found the shop’s owners to be incredibly friendly every time I’ve gone in, even if only to window shop. My only complaint about the shop is that its weekday hours make it difficult for first shift folks to do much shopping, but fortunately their weekend hours make the store accessible to us poor souls who work until 6p.m. daily.

If you can’t visit in person, Tip Top is all over the web as well. They have a great website with photos of the shop, and a nice Myspace page as well.

Tip Top also typically has a fun selection for sale on eBay. On more than one occasion I have been browsing eBay only to find that I was admiring something from Tip Top.

If you go:
Tip Top Atomic Shop
2343 South Kinnickinnic Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53207
Tel: (414) 486-1951

112 West Mineral Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 382-0006

Located at the corner of South First Street and Mineral, the Fox Skylight Gallery of Antiques is easily one of Milwaukee’s most impressive antique stores. Featuring three stories of shopping, this former paint factory building holds some real treasures. Be sure you set aside a few hours for your visit - there is a lot to see here!

The lower level alone is worth the visit. Featuring an incredibly diverse selection of furniture and decor, there is truly something to match all tastes and styles. The highlights on my visit included two hand carved chairs and matching table from Thailand and a very kitchy red and white kitchen table with matching chairs. While prices varied wildly, there were some surprisingly good deals waiting for the right person. Watch for the red and yellow sale tags - there were lots of markdowns on this level.

The middle and upper floors feature less furniture and more home decor, vintage clothing and jewelry, military collectibles, glassware and other standard antique shop fare. The sheer amount of items on these two floors makes it difficult to see everything in just one walkthrough, and I found myself eager to return just one week after my first visit.

The consignment structure helps explain some of the very good bargains. Prices are reduced by 25% and then by 50% if they go unsold for a specified period of time. For that reason there are some great deals to be found, with a number of booths listing all items at 50% off.

There are a number of antique stores on First Street - enough to make a fun afternoon filled with antique shopping - but this one stands out from the crowd. With a friendly staff and reasonably good hours, Fox Skylight Gallery has become my favorite antique shop in the city.

The Fall Color Report indicates that this weekend is going to be the prime time for fall colors in Southern Wisconsin, and with the temperatures reaching the low 70s this weekend this is the time to take a little road trip. Here are a few fun Wisconsin destinations outside of Milwaukee.

The House on the Rock
Located in Spring Green, Wisconsin (just West of Madison) the House on the Rock is easily one of the state’s most unusual attractions. The House itself is incredible and a sight to see all on its own, but the collections - everything from dollhouses to apothecary supplies to self-playing musical instruments and much more - are almost overwhelming.

The Cave of the Mounds
Also West of Madison between Mount Horeb and Blue Mounds lies the Cave of the Mounds, an incredibly beautiful cave with guided tours on the hour. The Cave is one of the most beautiful in the Midwest, and its constant 50 degree temperature makes it a very reasonable destination for most of the year. BONUS: As long as you are in the area, be sure to visit Mount Horeb as well. It is known as the Troll Capital of the World for all the wonderfully odd little trolls that decorate the ciity.

Columbus Antique Mall
Easily the largest antique emporium in Wisconsin, plan on spending a few hours at the Columbus Antique Mall if you want to take it all in. Bring your wallet: with books, glassware, military collectibles, vintage clothing, furniture, and much much more, this Antique Mall features 82,000 square feet of shopping.

I may not have a lot of money to give to charities, or time to plant trees in the park, but I like to think that I’m doing my part. I’m getting lazy people off the couch, helping stimulate the economy, and with Pridefest this week, promoting acceptance. Yeah, I make the world a better place.

Friday 6/8 - Sunday 6/14
Pridefest
Without a doubt, Pridefest is one of the wildest festivals to hit Milwauke every summer. Whether you’re there to show your support or marvel at the amazing things drag queens can do with wigs, it’s always a good time. Just be sure to gag your bigot friend first. Go to Pridefest.com for more info on schedules and admission.

Friday 6/8
Avoided @ Miramar Theater
Crusty, hardcore punk is most definitely not for everyone, but it doesn’t get much better than Avoided. Through tireless devotion and merciless skill, Avoided have risen to become local heroes in the scene. To top it off, this will be a CD release show. Doors open at 5:30pm. Admission is $8. Check out MySpace.com/avoided to hear sample of their work.

Saturday 6/9
Fasten Clothing Swap
By now, you probably know that Fasten is one of the most unique clothing shops around, and now they’re taking it one step further. Bring your unwanted clothes, $5, and leave with as much as you want. They’ll even have staff on hand to help with alterations. The swap runs from 10am-4pm.
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave.

Thursday 6/14
Big Art Show @ Art Bar
Seriously, that’s the name of the show. Art Bar is already one of the coolest bars around and they always have something good on display. So how could you not be tempted? This touring show begins at 7pm with a $5 admission.
722 E Burleigh St.

The gaming site, HonestGamers.com recently posted an event notice that should be of interest to all the gamers of Milwaukee.

The Midwest Gaming Classic is coming to Oconomowoc. This is the midwest’s largest gaming convention, but don’t go expecting exclusive game demos, otherworldly booth designs, or game designers signing autographs. The Midwest Gaming Classic is a straightforward event that caters to the old-schoolers out there.

The number one reason to check out the Midwest Gaming Classic is the wall to wall arcade machines, pinball machines, and nearly every console and handheld system ever made. The best part is that they’re all free to play.

If you crave a little competition, the event offers six different classes of pinball tournaments, and perhaps one of the first sponsored Shmup (shoot-em-up) tournaments in the US. Of course, each event offers a variety of prizes, from game consoles to cash. There will even be a Nintendo Wii being raffled off.

The cost to attend the event is $10 for a single-day pass, $20 for a two-day pass, and $2-5 per entry into the tournaments. It only happens once a year, so get your friends together, make some matching t-shirts, and go prove your ultimate dorkdom. I know I’ll try to be there.